Hello Kenneth!
There are so many incredible restaurants at the Walt Disney World Resort! They are located inside the Walt Disney World theme parks, Disney Springs, and the Resorts. Since you are staying at
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Resort, you can start making Advanced Dining Reservations 60 days before the first day of your Walt Disney World vacation. If a restaurant is inside a theme park, you will need a
Walt Disney World ticket and a
theme park reservation to enter the park. For the restaurants at Disney Springs or inside the Resorts, you will not need a theme park ticket to dine at them. You will have to make Advanced Dining Reservations for Table Service meals. For Counter Service or Quick Service meals, you do not need Advanced Dining Reservations. You can use the
My Disney Experience App to mobile order for Counter Service restaurants to save time waiting in line at the restaurant. To make an
Advanced Dining Reservation, you will have to select a date, a time, and the size of your party to see the availability.
I have a few strategies that I use to secure Advanced Dining Reservations. First, I keep checking for dining availability every day right up until my Walt Disney World vacation begins because Guests often cancel their Advanced Dining Reservations before their vacation. Also, sometimes Advanced Dining Reservations become available 24 hours before (due to Guests canceling or changing their Advanced Dining Reservations) or on the day of your park visit (so make sure you check on the day of your theme park visit). Secondly, I would try looking at places to dine outside the theme parks, such as restaurants inside the Walt Disney World Resorts or Disney Springs. Some of my favorite restaurants are located inside a Walt Disney World Resort! If a restaurant is inside a theme park, you will need a Walt Disney World ticket and a Theme Park Reservation to enter the park. For the restaurants at Disney Springs or inside the Resorts, you will not need a theme park ticket to dine at them. My third strategy is to search for dining times outside the regular meal times to increase your chances of finding dining availability.
I hope you experience some of the fantastic restaurants at Walt Disney World!
Marc L.